Russell Martin
April Fools’ day has come and gone for this year, but it is never too early to start preparing for next year. April Fools’ is a holiday practiced all around the world, from America to France, and even South Africa. People of all ages, nationalities, and beliefs take part in this once a year day of pranks on their friends, families, coworkers and innocent bystanders. Festivities include elaborate schemes that make headlines and simple yet effective pranks that ensure a good laugh and knee slap. Though it is widely celebrated, its’ origin is still relatively unknown.
Many scholars believe that its origin commenced in France in the early 16th century as Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish Day. The story claims that France’ king, Charles the IX, altered the French calendar to make January 1st the beginning of the year, in lieu of March 25th or Easter, in order to reduce confusion, this was already a widely accepted practice. Easter follows the lunar calendar, thus falling on a different day each year created mass differences throughout France and Europe. The change aligned with synonymy of the Roman calendar; many rural dwellers either received late word of this change or refused to conform to societal law and failed to celebrate the beginning of the year on January 1st and were so dubbed April Fools. They were then susceptible to having pranksters tape fish to their backs as a way of mocking their so-called rebellion. To this day, French natives still exchange chocolate fish with one another as a celebratory practice.
That is just one theory; there are many differences geographically and throughout time. References of April Fools’ jokes can be dated back to the 14th century in a poem titled, The nun’s priests tale, by Chaucer, where a fox and rooster exchange pranks. Britain, like France, also has the April Fools’ legend of a calendar change as the culprit for such festivities, some claim the tradition goes as far back as Greek Mythology. Only one thing is known for sure, no one truly knows how April Fools day commenced. Let us not falter at the thought of April Fools, but instead, make our predecessors proud and engage in some of the most elaborate schemes that we can carry out this April 1st.
For those individuals delving into mischief for the first time, there are pranks that are harmless yet effective:
• When your roommate, parent, friend, or sibling slips into a deep oblivion draw a mustache and uni-brow on their face.
• If that doesn’t suit your fancy, place saran wrap underneath the toilet lid and wait for the next female to use the bathroom.
• Add temporary dye to an unsuspecting friends bottle of conditioner and give them green hair for a day.
• If the kitchen sink has a sprayer, place a rubber band around the handle and wait for the next user to get soaked in your glory.
• Stick a raisin in the tube of someone’s toothpaste and watch horror wash over his or her face as they bare witness to an unidentified object that was squeezed out.
• Place a thick sheet of peanut butter inside the sole of someone’s shoe.
• Put flour on the top of the ceiling fan and wait for someone to turn it on.
• Cook spaghetti noodles and hang it over tree limbs in a neighbors yard.
• Offer to make your friend a sandwich and don’t remove the wrapper from the cheese.
• Glue quarters on a sidewalk and watch passerby’s, with great effort, try and pry the quarters from the cement.
Whatever prank you choose the key is to commit to a prank that isn’t obvious; subtlety is key! Whether its taping fish to a strangers back, or setting someone’s alarm two hours too early, take pride in knowing that you are keeping this age old tradition alive.